Guest Submission XIX: and now Pittsburgh...

 On Sunday, April 27, 2014 1:57 AM  

To all in Cleveland,

     I am sorry to report that we may have found a bishop even worse than Lennon. At this moment in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, in the small town of Monongahela in Washington County, about thirty parishioners are inside of St. Anthony’s church, cold and hungry. They began a peaceful vigil to protest the church’s closing after the final mass yesterday afternoon. The town police chief ordered his officers not to get involved. The Diocese of Pittsburgh however chose to have private security guards at the church, and to order those guards to block any food, water, or parishioners from entering the church. The plan seems to be to starve out those inside.

     A hearing was held last evening, and the judge stated that they were not willing to touch this case. So, that leaves these parishioners, imprisoned in their church by the hired thugs of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. If they leave, they can’t return. These last eight hours have been a true testament to the cruelty human beings can inflict upon one another. At one point, a parishioner (the nephew of the church’s former pastor,) attempted to open a window for fresh air. The church’s current pastor, Fr. William Terza, slammed the window shut, as television cameras rolled, narrowly missing the man’s fingers. At another point, coordination led to a pizza being hurled through another open window, with the pastor then slammed shut. Thirty people can hardly be fed by one pizza, but they want to make the point that they will last as long as they can, and that this is as unchristlike as possible.

     The parishioners range in age from the young to the very old. One couple, ages 84 and 86 are there, hungry and tired. The man’s brother’s dying request was that he look after the church and grounds. He’s honoring that wish, and suffering to do so. Others have never protested before, but can’t stand by while the church they have invested millions of dollars of improvements in over the course of the last decade is stolen from under them. I was hoping that after the Congregation for the Clergy issued its instruction to the bishops of the world, to stop selling churches needlessly, that things would change. They have in many parts of America, with bishops making compromise agreements that will see at least occasional services said in churches, in exchange for the parishioners agreeing to shoulder the financial responsibility of caring for them. That was offered to Bishop David Zubik of Pittsburgh; he just wants St. Anthony’s gone.

     I have never even seen anything this barbaric in my decade of helping the churches of Boston. Does Bishop David Zubik have a soul? Does this pastor, Fr. William Terza have a soul? Denying food to the elderly? Bishop Zubik’s father, Stanley, lives at the Pittsburgh diocesan seminary. Would he starve his father? Would he starve his mother were she still alive? The world needs to know about the horrors which are going on this very moment, in this little Western Pennsylvania town, by the order of the Pittsburgh Diocese. Let us pray the bishop’s chosen course of action doesn’t lead to anyone’s death.

     Laura Magone, the leader of the vigil has her IPhone with her. Texts, or calls, could be given to her, ([deleted phone#]sic.)  She does not have access to email. I would request that everyone pray for her and the others. I’ve been fairly unreachable these last few weeks working on this issue. I pray some good can come from this terrible situation.

Brody Hale

P.S., media coverage is pasted below.

P.P.S., any actions which anyone can take to spread the word about this, or to apply pressure on the Diocese of Pittsburgh to feed these people, would be greatly appreciated.

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2014/04/26/st-anthony-church-members-protest-closure-with-vigil/

http://m.lancasteronline.com/news/pennsylvania/parishioners-hold-vigil-to-protest-church-closing/article_015d11cb-21f9-511b-b001-4f8c2d969790.html?mode=jqm

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update: Sit in broken by 'hard ball tactics' of the bishop including the employ of 'thugs':
http://www.post-gazette.com/local/south/2014/04/27/St-Anthony-Church-Monongahela-parishioners-protest-church-closing/stories/201404270223

and Quasimodo was a bell ringer

To-day has many names. I must mention, to-day fulfills the Octave of Easter, and is also, then fittingly, Divine Mercy Sunday. Perhaps, most anciently, to-day is Dominica in albis depositis, the Sunday of laying away the white (garment of baptism) is one which is reflected in an Ambrosian hymn. From the Introit at Mass — "Quasi modo geniti infantes, rationabile, sine dolo lac concupiscite", — the day is also known as Quasimodo Sunday; also St. Thomas Sunday, Low Sunday, Second Sunday of Easter. On the 30th of April 2000, Pope John Paul II made it Divine Mercy Sunday.

Well, 4 a.m. Cleveland time was broadcast the dual papal canonisations from Rome. Three local parishes, St. Casimir, St. Stanislaus, and SS. Peter and Paul met to view it together. Here follows some fotos from St. Casimir, afterwards there was some joyous bell ringing and a small Mass.

Gregor Mendel on glass

Personal taste is not definitive by itself. Friday night i went to a wonderful concert, Apollo's Fire, at St. Paul Episcopal (Anglican) Cleveland Heights. I go for baroque, and had the usual suspects, Vivaldi, Rameau, and Handel. Well, once St. Paul's was on Millionaire's Row (Euclid Avenue). They left for the Heights and merged with St. Martin's in 1928. The old magnificent church was sold to the Catholics, and became the Conversion of St. Paul (the humour).

Well, Hoover's Depression hit and the huge new Indiana limestone-English Gothic church was delayed in completion for years. The impressive (yet Spartan) parish hall was to hold services. St. Martin's Chapel (1941) bordered the nave (1951), which had clear [with a few stained medallions] glass until, on one side, a series of twelve clerestory windows by the English artist, Caroline Swash were installed (1967-86).

There are three, long, multi-figured lancet windows in the chapel opposite of the altar. I have no information on these, other than their subjects. The most surprising figure is Gregor Mendel, the Augustinian priest, and biologist; certainly we are not in a 'fundamentalist' church. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was executed in the last month of Nazism, is in the lancet next to Mendel. So by subject matter, and the newer windows, this window was after 1945, and before 1967. ....to be continued with updated information?

Back to taste...fashion and demographics change, the church on Euclid is more impressive; but the new one is something too. It is also the largest Anglican congregation in the state.

signs about town

on Clark near West 25th

 where can i get a cup of...

 monkey means what? on Carnegie by the highway

 on the formerly Slovene section of Saint Clair Avenue

wow man, i forgot to title this

 4/21 National Surprise Drug Test Day

Well Dude, 4/20 is national weed day. It is a fake holiday, so why not a spoof of the fake? I just found about this, what is this year five? Did it begin with one joker on the internets/facebook in 2010?

You know, more than half of the country approves of the legalization of marijuana. You do know, that, it had been legal. In certain states and locales it is legal again, and highly profitable. Recently, i read that in this country, what is desired by the top tenth percentile in wealth becomes policy. Not what the majority of people want (as in a theoretical democracy), but what a much smaller privileged group wants. Since so much of police and court business, and the prison industry is involved in enforcement and punishment over weed, those resources can be re-directed. The lives saved in Mexico would be worth it alone. The contraband businessmen there have little concern with human life.

Here in America, piss tests are demanded by employers, and prospective employers (the Fourth Amendment is not an issue for non-government agencies, so much for the principle of rights). We live in a country where (usually) Republican dope using Congressmen insist on drug testing for the poor. One must appreciate the hypocrisy.  This has many purposes: it degrades and insults people while finding very few 'culprits'; and, arguably, more importantly, money that could be used to help people is used in punishing them and awarding profitable contracts to testing companies. "America, what a country!"

But, to-day is Easter Monday (and Wet Monday), a day of fun and merrymaking the world over. It is a holiday in most of Europe, and the English speaking world, not in the United States.

food blessing

Noon to-day, Saint Stanislaus Cleveland

Many parishes have blessings of Easter food baskets. Perhaps, Saint Stanislaus has the highest volume in the area, five times on Holy Saturday. Fr. Pascal teaches theology at Benedictine High. He has a sermon for this. He is intense about the subject, and he is right. These foods are a sacramental. Such activities bind the person, to the community, to the culture, and to the church.

Different nationalities have different items in the basket. Apparently, the Poles are prohibitionists; since some other people have a bottle of wine in the basket. Other foods (horseradish) are similar to a Passover Seder; but the Jews prohibit pork. Eggs are, i think, in every basket.

Saint Stan's has two priests bless the multitudes.

Good Friday Procession Cleveland

The Angelus bell rang at noon to start the procession from St. Michael's. The marchers would go to St. Patrick's, and then finish their pilgrimage at La Sagrada Familia.  On odd numbered years this is the path, on even numbered years it is reversed.

 before starting people assembled and conversed

Now, in a supposed Christian country, this should not need an explanation. The police blocked off traffic as little and as short as possible, yet a few drivers felt confusion and bother.

Jesus hung on the cross from about noon to three. These hours on this day are supposed to be devoid of work and play. Very little in these Christian cities in the United States stopped. Not every Christian, believes in this tradition. And such practices interferes with commerce, and are not well tolerated.

Later in the day, Saint Rocco's in Cleveland also processes. There is little of this sort of activity about the area. Such things were done more so in the past. Such activity is a communal presence made visible to the world.

Tenebrae

a 15 candle hearse at Saint Vitus Cleveland

tip of the hat to Stephen Colbert

 

Jesters and fools are necessary for the good of society. They are free to speak the truth.
http://catholicdemocratfromohio.blogspot.com/2007/08/of-jesters-and-fools.html

David Letterman will be succeeded by Stephen Colbert.

On someone's collection of quotes site, they collected from Colbert. Colbert went in front of those who wield power and made them uncomfortable by telling the truth. He did so in front of national reporters, and the then sitting president; later he went to Congress. And this from the man, who mocks Fox Corp propaganda, and mouthfoamers.

• ''And that brings us to tonight's word: Truthiness. Now I'm sure some of the word-police, the 'wordanistas' over at Websters, are gonna say, 'Hey, that's not a word!' Well, anybody who knows me knows that I am no fan of dictionaries or reference books. They're elitist. Constantly telling us what is or isn't true, what did or didn't happen...'' —Stephen Colbert

while staring down the powers that be:

• ''To sit here at the same table with my hero, George W. Bush...I feel like I'm dreaming. Somebody pinch me. You now what, I'm a pretty sound sleeper, that may not be enough...Somebody shoot me in the face.'' —Stephen Colbert, roasting President Bush at the 2006 White House Correspondents' dinner
• ''I know there are some polls out there saying this man has a 32% approval rating. But guys like us, we don't pay attention to the polls. We know that polls are just a collection of statistics that reflect what people are thinking in 'reality.' And reality has a well-known liberal bias.'' —Stephen Colbert, ditto
• ''I stand by this man because he stands for things. Not only for things, he stands on things. Things like aircraft carriers, and rubble, and recently flooded city squares. And that sends a strong message that no matter what happens to America she will always rebound with the most powerfully staged photo-ops in the world.'' —Stephen Colbert, ditto
• ''I believe that the government that governs best is a government that governs least, and by these standards we have set up a fabulous government in Iraq.'' —Stephen Colbert, ditto
• ''I trust that following my testimony, both sides will work together on this issue in the best interest of the American people. As you always do.'' —Stephen Colbert, testifying before Congress on behalf of the United Farm Workers Union, which was pushing an agriculture jobs bill to give illegal immigrant farm workers a path to citizenship
• ''I'm not a fan of the government doing anything. But I've got to ask: Why isn't the government doing anything? Maybe this ag jobs bill will help. I don't know. Like most members of Congress, I haven't read it.'' —Stephen Colbert, ditto

Stephen Colbert is a practicing, teaching Catholic. He knows fully well that Jesus did not suffer lightly hypocrites; and mostly Colbert as an humorist is a political commentator.

• ''Mentioning Jesus in your speech: Small government. Doing what Jesus asked: Big government.'' —Stephen Colbert
• ''If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don't want to do it.'' —Stephen Colbert

He pretends to be a "conservative" super patriot, but his comments betray that guise:

• ''Winning the Nobel Prize does not automatically qualify you to be commander in chief. I think George Bush has proved definitively that to be president, you don't need to care about science, literature or peace.'' —Stephen Colbert
• ''Paul Ryan stretching the truth to make his speech more effective is just another form of doping. In that if you believe him, you are a dope.'' —Stephen Colbert on Paul Ryan's speech at the Republican National Convention
• ''Of course! Jeb Bush! America is hungry for another leader from that talented family!'' —Stephen Colbert
• ''I have tender feelings for Nixon, because everybody has warm feelings about their childhood. Actually, I didn't like the Watergate trials 'cause they interrupted The Munsters... Nixon was the last liberal president. He supported women's rights, the environment, ending the draft, youth involvement, and now he's the boogeyman? Kerry couldn't even run on that today.'' —Stephen Colbert
• ''Sorry to disappoint the liberals who tuned in tonight to gloat about Obama's lead in every poll, but I am not worried. McCain may be behind, but the man is a fighter. He doesn't know the meaning of the word 'quit.' He used to, but it was stored in the same part of his brain that remembered to vet his running mate.'' —Stephen Colbert
• ''I know you think Sarah Palin is at best a self-promoting ignoramus and at worst a shameless media troll who will abuse any platform to deliver dog whistle encouragement to a far-right base that may include possible insurrectionists. I know you think Sarah Palin's reality show was pathetically unstatesmanlike and at the same time, I know you think it also represents the pinnacle of her potential.'' —Stephen Colbert
• ''The entire future of marriage rests with Justice Anthony Kennedy, the man who declared in Citizens United that corporations are people with constitutional rights. I just hope he doesn't do anything rash, like declare that homosexuals are people with constitutional rights.'' —Stephen Colbert
• ''I love its message of 'F**k them, I got mine.''' —Stephen Colbert on ''Atlas Shrugged'' by Ayn Rand

But i think the final word is not truthiness, but reality:

• ''Contrary to what people may say, there's no upper limit to stupidity.'' —Stephen Colbert

Medina of Ohio

Medina had been a village for over a century, and only within a generation a growing small town. It is the county seat of the eponymous county. A line of post War for the Union brick buildings on the south edge of the square is a model for Disney's version of small town America.

 old courthouse clock, and a loose shingle

 a meridian stone geographical marker from 1832

Lathrop Cooley (*1821, 1910†) Fountain

Cooley was a preacher for over 60 years in the Disciples of Christ. He was the first pastor at Franklin Circle in Ohio City (Cleveland), James Garfield was a successor. Later Cooley was Tom Johnson's preacher. His second wife had this memorial built for him.

There are two misapplied quotations on the stone. One is this rephrasing of Matthew x. 42 into "he that giveth a cup of cold water". The other is from Shakespeare's Timon of Athens I.ii, "honest water, which ne'er left man in the mire". The Cooleys were Prohibitionists. Upon seeing the fountain, i did not know; i had thought well it must be from that age when water was freely given to the public, and not charged as prepared drink in a plastic bottle from a multi-national corporation.

Medina is very proud of its public square, and the gazebo at its center. In many towns and villages there is a war memorial. In Medina, it is in the nearby cemetery.

of ham and colored eggs

There is a verb 'pisat' (to write), this applied to an egg is 'pisanka' [pisanki (plural)]. Amongst the Slavonic peoples and neighbouring nations of Orthodox, and Catholic neighbours this has been a folkloric art for centuries. Molten wax designs are drawn on eggs, which are then dipped in dyes. Some are scratched with styluses. Some are collected in museums. Fabergé made million dollar jeweled eggs for the last Romanov czar.

One color eggs are dipped into dyes. Now we have food coloring from the store, but natural dyes can be gathered from the garden,or icebox. Boiled onion peels will give a red brown.

Many years ago, i had an history professor, who held his upper division courses at his home. He was a Lutheran Swede from Iowa. It was near Easter, and he brought out his table top Easter tree, these small bare branches held eggs. We were in our twenties, and he brought out eggs and markers, and everyone drew an egg. He saved the best ones from years past. The best one, a Chinese girl had made; it was of two panda bears eating bamboo, if i remember rightly, under a willow tree.

These folk sacramentals do not end with the incredible egg. Amongst these people, Easter baskets are blessed on the day before Easter. "Święconka" is the Polish word (that has been generalised for this in America), and there is formalised prayer, sometimes. Some people compete, not many: baskets shaped as poultry and fowl with fancy linen and lace. Some are big baskets, with food for the whole family, others are minimalised (why bother, a bonzai basket).

And butcher shops are involved. Particular sausages, hams, and butter shaped as lambs are made. Some foods are those that were denied in Lent: bread with eggs in the dough, or Easter eggs surrounded in braided bread; meats, cheeses, and so on; as with the Passover Seder, there is the bitter horseradish (sometimes a jar, sometimes a large root); if children are involved, chocolate eggs, and marshmallow "peeps". Now, in French (and German, and others) the drawings of Little Red Riding Hood's basket, there is a bottle (or two) of wine that are not seen in the US; but this sort of 'prohibition' never came to eastern Europe.

Some of these traditions have entered into parishes that are outside these nationalities. Such practices are often welcomed into other parishes. God save Christians from non-festive clerics.

Ukrainian Archives, Cleveland

shrouding of crucifixes and statues

In some churches about the 5th Saturday of Lent, crucifixes and statues are veiled. It is getting closer to Good Friday, the Crucifixion and Entombment.

 Our Lady of Mount Carmel — Cleveland West, 2010

 

 Saint Rocco Cleveland 2014

 Saint Mary Collinwood 2014, statue from Saint Lawrence

gonna be Vegas

“Advertising is a racket, like the movies and the brokerage business. You cannot be honest without admitting that its constructive contribution to humanity is exactly minus zero.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald

I've mentioned this quote before. It is evergreen, even though it grows in a fetid bog.

“The men leaned back on their heels, put their hands in their trouser-pockets, and proclaimed their views with the booming profundity of a prosperous male repeated a thoroughly hackneyed statement about a matter of which he knows nothing whatever.” — Sinclair Lewis

Since now, i have no regular readers, i may be free to make wilder statements. I dislike commercial promotion, it is the bullshit of greed.

I am not bothering to even look up the exact details, it is not worth it to me. Whether the stink flower has one petal or five is immaterial to me. Local media is an avenue of  boosterism, shilling Babbitts, and P.T. Barnums of bilge water, ballast, and bullshit. 'Postively Cleveland', Chamber of Commerce, Cleveland Tourist Bureau, ad nauseum.

They are all pitching for Cleveland to host the Republic Presidential Convention of 2016. A field of eight candidates, has been whittled to six. Columbus is out, Cincinnati and Cleveland are "in". Come on, really. It's Las Vegas. Only a few locations will have easy access to the assets of entertainment and decadence that Vegas has.

Now, the availability of exercising certain particular activities with a diverse workforce of entertainment companions is difficult in competing with Las Vegas. And hypocrisy being what is entrenched in the Republican Party, Cleveland hosting the "Gay Games" will not have the selection committee cast votes at Cleveland.

And another thing: the "sin tax" for the benefit of billionaire major league owners of sports teams is being forced upon the public by blackmail, threats, and of course — advertising. If the electorate shows the temerity to vote against it, there will be another election (and another) and another coaxing campaign. The rich do not accept "No" as an answer. Look at the proposed McDonald's for Ohio City. How many casino votes "failed" before the casinos came to Ohio? How many times has the House passed bills to eliminate "Obamacare"?

“The public be damned!” —  William Henry Vanderbilt I
________________
Postscriptum 4. 30 pm 22 May 2014: I was wrong about Vegas. Still doubt Cleveland, we have to wait if i am wrong on that too.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2014/may/22/las-vegas-out-running-2016-republican-national-con/ 
Postscriptum 7. 50 pm 25 June 2014: The story to-day is Cleveland and Dallas are still in it, although an earlier story said Cleveland was out. I was wrong about Vegas. I did not say, that Dallas would have been number two (Tejas Republican $$). This is really yanking Cleveland's chain. And Cleveland is on the Democratic list, bad move to have gambled on the Repukes. 
Postscriptum 7. 30 pm 8 July 2014:  I was wrong, they picked Cleveland. Perhaps, we will find out why.

Yesterday was April 1st

Well, i always wondered when these signs go up. A few hours ago, the sign was mounted. I spoke to the woman, and she was friendly and pleasant. It takes three to four days to make a sign like this.

April has earth day in about three weeks. I am guessing this year may not have a sign here.

Woodrow Wilson was president from 4 March 1913 to 4 March 1921. On 2 October1919 he had a stroke that effected his entire left side. For several months he was in a wheelchair.

The United States was never in the League of Nations (Société des Nations). The League lasted 16 January 1920 to 20 April 1946. It had 42 members at founding, reached 58 and then declined. World War II destroyed its effectiveness. It was replaced by the United Nations which began with 51 members (including the United States), and has 193 currently. The non-members are Kosovo, Palestine, and Taiwan (all of which are not universally considered independent states), and Vatican City.

Senator Henry Cabot Lodge led the Republican Party in opposition to Wilson on partisan grounds, 1920 was a presidential election year. Republicans in the Senate opposed Wilson, because of enmity and partisanship. They opposed the Treaty of Versailles (between the Allies and Germany), which included the League covenant. They were against international co-operation, if the US did not have veto power. Any restriction on the US in international affairs was not acceptable. There were isolationists, who wanted a smaller military; and there were others who wanted an unfettered unilateral use of force. The 'Monroe Doctrine'(1823) was an enunciation of the US's willingness to go to war with anyone in (or over) the Western Hemisphere. League membership would suggest a renunciation of that policy.

Now, i think there might be a rule in Star Trek's United Federation of Planets, wherein member planets can only join if they have a planetary government.

notice the second dominoes from the left and right